The Golden Days
by 23a
Summary: Emma kept Henry, and years later a date gone too far gives her Henry's twin sisters, Maryn and Nella. Days before her 28th birthday, a bail-bondsperson job leads her to Hong Kong, where a man called the dragon tells her he can lead her to her parents, and the family she's never known.
1. A Path Opened Up

_Emma looked around the crowded room, the doctor holding up her baby, telling her she could change her mind. And in that moment, she realized that that little boy was _hers. _No one else could have him, he was her baby. Henry. That's what she would name him. He was hers._

...

_Emma didn't know what got into her. Maybe it was just because it had been 5 years, maybe she was desperate. But the date went too far. And now she was pregnant. _

...

_"Congratulations, Emma. Here are your two twin girls."_

_"Their names are... Maryn. And Nella."_

_"Well then, here they are."_

...

Emma woke up in the small apartment and smiled. She had Henry, and Maryn, and Nella. Everything she needed. She looked at the clock, and realized with a start it was 8:28. Her boss had asked her to be there at 9. And Henry's school started at 8:45. She jumped out of bed, and ran into Henry's room.

"Kid, get up! It's time for school!"

Henry got up and looked at the clock. "Gah!", he yelled.

He started getting ready, as did Emma. She called the babysitter two apartments down and said, "Need you to watch the girls in 5 min, just for a couple hours."

"Ok", said Georgia, who was always up early, and always eager for a job.

Emma brushed her teeth, making sure Henry did as well, put a nutrition bar in his bag, and ran out the door, leaving $30 on the counter. Just as she left, Georgia entered the apartment. It was 8:37. She jumped in the car, as did Henry, and barreled out of the apartment building's parking lot. They got to Henry's school at 8:44, just in time.

"Have fun kid!"

"I will, Mom", said Henry, and ran in the door.

Emma hit the gas and drove out of the school parking lot, getting to the meeting spot at 8:58. She parked and hurried to where the boss was.

"Just in time, Ms. Swan."

"Yes sir."

"Now, Emma..."

_Crap, _she thought. He only called her Emma when something serious was going on.

"We have a new bail-bondsperson job for you."

"But I'm in the middle of -"

"Annabelle's got it. We need you on this new one."

Emma sighed, "Where is it?"

"Hong Kong."


	2. A Stranger's Help

"Hong Kong? Seriously?"

"Yes. Seriously."

"But... I have a life here... a family."

"And a job, Emma. And if you would like to keep said job..."

"Got it." Emma sighed. She supposed she could say Henry was sick and get him out of school... because no way was she going to Hong Kong without her kids.

"Who's this person I have to track down?"

"They call him the dragon. Bring him to us."

"Why?"

"That is none of your concern."

...

Emma nervously sat in the car outside Henry's school, not sure what she was going to tell him. Maryn and Nella were napping in the backseat. They were fraternal twins, and looked quite different. Maryn looked like Emma, and Nella looked like Snow, though Emma didn't know it at the time. She was excited about seeing her girls grow up, being able to discuss things with them she could not discuss with Henry. As much as Henry loved her, she was not a father. She thought about Neal, wondered vaguely what he was up to now. Suddenly, Henry came running down the path, looking like he was being pursued, followed by some much bigger boys behind him.

...

Neal wasn't sure what to do anymore. He'd searched far and wide for Emma, but he couldn't find her. He was wondering if she had changed her name. He tried to contact August several times, but couldn't get a hold of him either. He was all but ready to give up when his phone suddenly rang.

...

"Henry, what's going on?", asked Emma, getting out of the car.

"Punk thinks he can sass us", one of the boys said.

Emma glared at him. "I bet he was justified, jerk. Get away from my kid."

The glare she gave was so intense, the boys backed away. Henry got in the car, and Emma followed, taking a deep breath before beginning.

"Henry, you know how I sometimes have to travel for jobs?"

"Yeah. Like that time we went to Florida and you took us to Disney."

"Yeah. Well, farther this time."

"Where?"

"Hong Kong."

"WHAT?!"

"How do you feel about missing school for a couple of weeks?"

Henry smiled. "Great."

"Ok then. Pack your bags when we get home, we leave tomorrow."

...

Emma boarded the plane, a daughter holding each hand. Henry followed behind. When they got on, Maryn whimpered a bit seeing all the people, but Nella was practically jumping out of Emma's hand. They may be twins, but the girls could hardly be more different.

They all sat down, and Emma swallowed. Hard. When the plane landed, Emma grabbed her kids and they all filed out of the plane. She received their luggage and was out of the airport in half an hour. Emma wasn't sure how to go about finding the dragon, so she asked a woman, "Do you know of a man called the dragon?"

It seemed she was lucky, for the woman looked around and whispered, "Yes. I can get you to see him. Tomorrow."

...

"Mom, this hotel is awesome", said Henry.

Emma smiled. The hotel was nice, with amazing rooms, great restaurants, and a beautiful fountain. They had eaten dinner at a lovely restaurant near the front, and had gone up to their rooms for the night. Henry was watching TV in Chinese, shows he knew so well he could translate the character's speech. Maryn and Nella had bathed and were sleeping soundly, and Emma was checking her e-mails. Everything was peaceful. For now. But Emma had a feeling that would change when she found the dragon.

...

The woman led her to a small building and said, "Wait here, and he will call you." Emma had left the kids in the hotel, so it was just her.

"Thanks", Emma replied.

After a while, she was called in. The man studied her for a moment. "Hello, Emma."

"You know my name?"

"Yes. And much more. Emma, I can help you find your parents."

...

Neal was annoyed. The same unknown number had been calling him for days. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, he picked up.

"Hello?", he said.

"Hi Neal. This is August. I need you to help me with something."

"Why should I help you?", he asked, annoyed.

"Because you might get to see Emma again."


	3. Falling Into Place

Emma stared at him for a second. "My - my parents?"

He nodded. "Yes. I know where you are from."

"You mean a roadside in Maine?"

"No. A land called the Enchanted Forest."

* * *

Nella giggled as she poured the stuff into the bag.

"Nella, stop!", Maryn yelled. "Mommy said no more!"

"Shut up, little sister!"

"You're only 12 and a half minutes older!"

"A lot happened in those minutes!"

Henry came downstairs and saw the girls. "Mar? Nell? What are you girls doing?"

"Uh...", Nella began.

"I was trying to stop her!", Maryn defended.

"Mom said no more pranks, Nelly Bear."

"I hate it when you call me that!"

"I know."

* * *

Bae blinked. "Emma. I could see Emma again?"

"Yes. If you help me. It won't be easy, but it is the only way."

"To do what?"

"To get Emma to believe."

* * *

"The _Enchanted Forest_?"

"Yes."

"What's that?"

"The magical land from which your parents, Snow White and Prince Charming, as well as many others, hail."

"You're insane."

"No."

"Yes, you are."

"Look, I didn't expect you to believe. And I don't think you will, for a while. But in case you do, I will write down the information of where you could find your parents."

"Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"Indeed."

She sighed. "Fine. I guess it couldn't hurt", she said, muttering "Psycho" under her breath.

He handed her the slip and she walked out. In all the confusion, she entirely forgot about the job she was supposed to do.

* * *

Maryn and Nella giggled, playing. Henry sat at the computer doing homework, or at least he told Emma it was homework. Suddenely, there was a knock at the door. Emma opened it. "Neal?! What the hell are you doing here?"

"I took an emergency flight... I just... I had to tell you..."

"Tell me what?"

"You need to believe."


	4. Something I Ought To Tell You, I Suppose

Emma glared at the man in front of her. "Neal, how - you - you just somehow tracked me to Hong Kong, to this hotel, took a flight here, and found me, to get me to believe in... what? Fairytales? Had enough of that today, thanks."

"No. Well, yes. You call them fairytales, but they're not, they're history." He took a deep breath. "My history."

Emma started to slam the door in his face. "No - wait - Emma - please -"

Henry came to the door. "Mom? Who is this?"

Neal looked at the boy standing near him. "Emma... oh, Emma... this..."

"This what?", Henry asked.

"Kid", Neal said. "How old are you?"

"10, why?", Henry answered, confused.

Neal could have sworn there was something constricting his airway for a second. "Emma... but that means... is he..."

Emma couldn't take it anymore. She exploded. "Yes, okay?! Yes, Neal, this is your son! Henry, this is your father!" She moved away from the doorway.

"Mom... you always said we could never talk about my dad... why... what..."

Neal was still in shock, staring at Emma and at the boy in front of him. "You look so much like I did at your age..."

"Really?"

"Really." He turned to Emma. "Emma, look. I need to tell you. I know now who your parents are, and I realize... we have something pretty big in common."

"You mean other than Henry?", she asked.

"Yeah", he said. "The Enchanted Forest. I was born there, and so were you."

"Really?"

"Yes, Emma, really. Use your 'superpower' then, see if I'm lying."

She looked at him. "Just because you believe in something doesn't make it true."

"Trust me, Emma. I would not lie about this. I tried to pretend I wasn't from there, that I was just Neal, an ordinary guy. But I'm not. My name is Baelfire, I'm from a magical land, and my father is Rumpelstiltskin."

"Cool!", Henry exclaimed.

"Emma, please, it's true. Your parents gave you away because of a curse. A curse my father created, and it brought everyone to this land."

"Neal, I-"

"Emma, I wouldn't lie to you. I never, ever would."

"Neal, you abandoned me! Sent me to prison for your crime!"

"Because I was told it would lead you to your family!"

"By who?"

"Pinocchio", Neal said. "By Pinocchio. He came to this world with you, and he's been watching you."

Emma looked at him. "Give me proof."

"Go to the address the dragon gave you, and you'll have all the proof you need."


	5. Longer Journeys

_1 week later_

Emma got off the plane at Logan Airport, her kids filing behind her. She pulled out the address, which had two parts. The first told her what distant, middle-of-nowhere road to drive down to get to the town, the second was the address in the town where she would supposedly find her family. There was another address underneath, with simply the word "proof" written next to it. She got all of their bags and went out to the taxi line. After a 20 minute wait, she managed to get them a cab, and gave him the first address. The cab driver turned around and gave her a look.

"You want me to drive all the way to _Maine?_"

"Yeah."

"You'd better have the cash, hon."

"I do. Now, gun it."

* * *

They got off at the edge of town, and the driver stared at them. "There's nothing here."

"What are you talking about? There's a town, right there", Emma said.

"Okay", he said, "Whatever. Pay up."

She handed him a large wad of cash, took her girls' hands and made sure Henry was right behind them, and walked into the town.

* * *

Mary Margaret Blanchard sat in her apartment, drinking a hot chocolate with cinnamon, when there was a knock on the door. She opened it to find a woman with three children, a boy around ten and two young girls.

"Hi", said the woman. "I'm Emma Swan."

"Mary Margaret Blanchard. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."


	6. Unexpected

Emma felt extremely awkward standing there. "Mary Margaret... have you ever known anyone else with the name Emma? Maybe... a baby? A while ago?

Mary Margaret frowned. "I don't think so. Why?

"No reason", Emma said, and walked away.

What had she been thinking, asking? Mary Margaret looked around her age. Of course, she also looked like Nella... maybe they were sisters? Frowning, she went to the other address, the one that supposedly had proof. It was a pawn shop, and the bell above the door tinkled when she went in.

"Hello?", she asked.

A man stepped out. He frowned when he saw her. "Who are you?"

"I'm Emma Swan."

A weird look cam over his face, and then he smiled. "Emma! What a lovely name."

"Thanks... anyway, I was told to come here for proof about a curse and an Enchanted Forest?"

He gasped a bit. "You know?"

"Wait... so it's real?"

"Yes."

"Wow. So my parents really are Snow White and Prince Charming."

"Indeed."

"And who are you... over there?"

"Rumpelstiltskin."

It was Emma's turn to gasp. "So you're Ne - Baelfire's father?"

His eyes widened. "You know my boy?"

"Yeah... but hold, on, I still need proof."

Shrugging, he led her to a room and pulled out a box. In the box was a potion. "Magic. And if you need more, Regina has a vault full of hearts."

"Regina?"

"You would know her as the evil queen."

"So... it's all real?", Emma asked.

"Yes", he said, "It is. Now, what's this you know about my boy?"

"I know that we dated and had a son, and that he was in Hong Kong a week ago."

"A son?"

"Yeah. Henry."

His eyes widened again and he looked at Henry. "So... I'm a grandfather?"

"Yeah. You are."


	7. Confusion

"I... how can you... and my son... my boy... you had a... a son?"

"Yeah", Emma said. "Then he came and found me and told me the truth about the curse and everything, but I didn't believe him. Then he told me I could find proof, so I came here for it. And I met a woman named Mary Margaret... we're supposedly family..."

"Well he didn't tell you much, then, if you don't even know how you and Ms. Blanchard are related."

"How are we related?"

"She's your mother."

"What?!"

"She's your mother... you know... the woman who gave birth to you..."

"Yeah, that much I got, but she looks about the same age as me."

"Well, time was frozen here for a while."

"How long?"

"Since the day you were born."

"Wow... that is so confusing... what about my father?"

Rumpelstiltskin shrugged. "No idea. Anyway, about my boy... how is he? Is he happy? Is he alright? What did he say about me?"

"Don't no, not sure, I think so, and not much other than that you created the curse. Shouldn't you know those things though?"

"I haven't seen him in a long time. Not since he was a young boy... several centuries ago."

"CENTURIES?! How old is he?"

"I don't know, I've lost track. Younger than me. But when I last saw him he was just 14."

"What happened?"

"None of your business. Anyway, you have a curse to break."

"What? I wasn't told anything about breaking the curse..."

"But you're the savior. You're the only one who can."


	8. A Job For A Savior

Emma gaped at Rumpelstiltskin for a bit. "I have to break the curse."

"Indeed you do."

"Why me?"

"The curse was designed that way."

"Mom, that's so cool!" said Henry.

"Henry, please take the girls outside and wait there."

"You're sending a ten-year-old and two five-year-olds outside by themselves?"

"Don't question my parenting! Whatever you did was so bad your son fears you!"

"I was under a curse!"

"What?"

"Emma, I let my boy go. I spent every minute since, all those centuries, trying to find him. Finally, I found a way, with the curse. Without it broken, I can't leave town to find him, not to mention that your parents will not remember you."

"But what to I do?"

"Well, that's where it gets complicated."

* * *

Neal was constantly watching his phone, waiting to see if Emma would call. He knew she probably wouldn't, but he could hope. She was, after all, the one that he loved. The call he got, though, wasn't the one he was expecting, and not from anyone he cared to hear from.

"Hello?"

"Bae!"

His eyes wide, he almost hung up the phone, but forced himself not to. "Papa."


	9. Fathers and Sons

"Bae, I need to speak with you."

"Papa, you get five minutes. First things first; did Emma make it?"

"Yes, with your son, I might add."

"Yeah, Henry. Just found out a few days ago. It was weird."

"You didn't know you had a son? What happened?"

"I left her to get arrested and I guess she was pregnant."

"You _left _her to get _arrested_?"

"August told me about the curse, said only Emma could break it. I had to get her to her destiny."

"But... how could you..."

"You're one to talk," Bae said angrily. "You abandoned me!" He looked at his phone screen. "Three minutes."

'"Bae, I'm sorry I abandoned you. I was scared, and under a curse, and I regretted it immediately. I tried to dig up the ground to get to you. I spent CENTURIES trying to make the curse so that I could see you again. Bae, I love you."

"I - Papa, you think I'll just forget all the things you did?"

"No. But I want you to give me a chance. I know I don't really deserve it... but please, Bae, come to Storybrooke."

"I'm coming," said Bae. "But for my son, not for you."

* * *

Henry looked up as his mom opened the door. His dad was standing there. "Neal, what do you want?! How did you get here? It's been like... a day since I got here."

"Emma, I want to speak to my son."

She sighed. "Fine. Henry, do you want to speak to him?"

"Sure," said Henry. He walked outside. "Dad."

"Henry. I want you to know that I love you."

"Why did you leave?"

"Henry... I was told that if I left your mom, it would lead her to her destiny in breaking the curse, and her family. I didn't know she was pregnant."

"But you came back."

"I did come back, Henry. Because I love her. And I love you."

"I love you too."


	10. We Need to Talk

"Emma."

"Neal, I don't have the time."

"Look, Emma, I want to talk to you."

"Neal, I'm glad you came back for Henry, really, but you need to understand that we are _over. _I am perfectly happy with just Henry and the twins, I'm really not looking for a romantic relationship, especially not with you."

"Emma, can I just try to explain? Even if you can never forgive me, you at least deserve the truth."

Emma sighed. "Alright. Fine. But make it quick."

* * *

"Emma, I didn't want to leave you. I loved... I love you. I fully intended to sell the watches and go back to you that night. August, also known as Pinocchio, intercepted me, and he explained to me that he knew the truth about me. He knew I was Baelfire, and that terrified me, because I had spent centuries trying to forget that identity, and trying to make it no longer a part of me. As soon as he knew who I was, it was like he had a power over me. I had to listen to him. He explained about the curse that my father had created to find me, about the town, and about you. He said your destiny was to break the curse, and that by staying with you, I was keeping you from your destiny."

"Neal, did you really think I cared about some stupid destiny more than I cared about you?" She blinked back tears.

"No, Emma, I thought you cared about finding your parents."

Stunned, Emma had nothing to say for a while. "What..."

"Emma, my mother walked out on us when I was just a little kid, and my father was never the same after he became the Dark One, he let me go, and I was all alone; I lied and said he was dead because I was so ashamed of him. I would have given anything to have my family back the way it was when I was really little. And I didn't want to take away your chance to be with your family."

"Neal..." She smiled, but then frowned. "Why couldn't we have found my destiny together?"

"Well, that was stupid of me, but I trusted August. He told me what I had to do, and, like an idiot, I did it."

"But you didn't care about us not being together anymore?"

"Emma, it killed me that we weren't together anymore! I moved to Canada just to try and get over you, but I never could. I wanted to be with you more than anything. But who was I to keep you from your family?"

"Neal..." The tears had started to fall now. "I understand. And I forgive you." She took a deep breath. "But I don't know if we can get back together. I'm not sure I'm ready."

"Well, that's okay, Emma, I'm willing to wait as long as it takes."


End file.
